Get your eyes checked, urge specialists

September 25, 2013

Staff reporter

EYE specialists in Ireland are reminding people that they should get their eyes tested on a regular basis.

The message coincides with the country’s Age-related Macular Degeneration Awareness Week (September 23-29). According to predictions, sight loss is set to rise in Ireland, but specialists say in some 75 per cent of cases blindness is preventable.

Consultant eye doctor at the Irish College of Ophthalmologists, Mark Cahill, said: “People over the age of 50 should have their eyes tested regularly, perhaps every two years.”

“If your eyes are checked and something’s seen that needs treatment, then the likelihood is you can prevent vision loss.”

AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) is a condition that can affects the sight of older people. In the over 50s, AMD is the leading cause of sight loss in Ireland, with over 7,000 new cases in Ireland every year.

In Britain, AMD is one of the leading causes of severe sight loss, and the cause of 50.5 per cent of blindness in the country.